I can't help with the precise colour matches, but when my Chipmunk "box of bits" arrived here in 1996 there were FOUR shades of red present on the airframe!

Also, if you're talking about 1973 then you're looking at the first, less common, permutation of the Red/White/Light Grey scheme. This comprised the red/white fuselage; wingroots panels, wing leading edge, wingtip in red with all fabric areas grey; tailplane is red but elevators in grey. Only a few RAF Chipmunks wore this scheme, whereas the entire fleet eventually ended up in the post 74 scheme (wing outer panels red and elevators red, wingroots grey).

Perhaps this explains it better (but note that the shadow hides the upper aircraft's red wingroots)

Go onto the Hannants website and see if you can get hold of one of the old Modeldecal decal sheets for the Chippie. From memory it was on one of the older sheets. Their references were excellent, usually based on personal observation and use of BS381 colour swatches.

1. In 1973 your aircraft just may have had the scheme depicted on "J". The scheme was introduced by H.307 in 1973, but as aircraft were only repainted when their condition required it, it may not have carried this scheme in that year. It's really hard to tell the two schemes apart in most B&W photos - the wingroots are the clue.

2. I'm not sure, but I read this as you wanting to paint the aircraft as it was in 1973? Bear in mind that the stencils changed throughout the aircraft's life (e.g. the NATO "hook" lifting point symbol didn't appear until much later), I'm still trying to pin down a date for the halved black/white spinner and the white striped blades (certainly not in 1973) and all Chipmunks carried underwing serials until at least 1983.

3. Assuming your Chipmunk is currently in its RAF markings, photograph/measure all markings before it's stripped. I'm always amazed at restorations that fail to replicate markings accurately - incorrectly styled serials are a common error.

Hello Dora, There is a world betwen my mind and how I can translate it. I have made a lot of pictures before remove the fabric cover and delete the paint! I just want to know the references of the paint. The current references with the RAL system. I have a result with a paint color chart, but I don't want make mistakes, that's why I ask to the honorable assembly. Sorry for my bad english, google translator help me, but when I see the result when a British use Google translator to write in french, I have a doubt.

I'm sure there was an official colour for the RAF training scheme, but I suspect the exact specification was sometimes down to the supplier. I base my comments on flying RAF training aircraft for about 8 years as a student and instructor. The Jet Provosts and Chipmunks I flew were quite a dark red. But later, when instructing on Chipmunks, the ones coming back from major servicing seemed to have been painted in a more vivid red with a slight hint of orange. The Tucanos supplied from Shorts were a different shade altogether with a brighter colour than the JPs.

There are a lot of factors - for example paint technology and regulations as to what goes into paint can change. Also, red pigment is less UV stable than others so the colour will change over time - the JPs longest out of major serviving had noticeable fade. Plus you need to realise any colour image of aircraft won't necessarily give an accurate representaiton due to film differences and/or digital reporduction.

Regarding fluorescent paint, by 1973 this would not have been painted on but stuck on using strips of "Scotchcal" fluorescent film produced by 3M. It is still available but, as with most fluorescent colours, it fades for a past-time. If you were looking at painting it then RAL 841-GL 2005 is Fluorescent Red/Orange which is a close match.

But fluorescent markings were more associated with the earlier Light Aircraft Grey overall scheme than the later red/white/grey scheme.